• Half-year pre-tax profits jump 112% to ÂŁ7m 
  • UK like-for-likes rise 3.8%
  • International suffers due to “currency headwinds”

Mothercare has reported a more than doubling of half-year pre-tax profits as its turnaround plan begins to have impact.

In the UK the retailer said a focus on full price products had driven higher margins and 3.8% like-for-like sales growth. Mothercare said its new store format was “going down well with customers”. 

Online sales rose 22% and now account for 36% of revenue in its UK business.

Losses from its UK business, in the 28 weeks to October 10, more than halved to ÂŁ6.1m.

Group underlying pre-tax profits in the 28-week period jumped 112.1% to ÂŁ7m.

Mothercare is undergoing a turnaround plan under chief executive Mark Newton-Jones after a period of falling sales and profits.

Newton-Jones said: “We are a year into our turnaround; making good progress against each of our strategic pillars and as a result underlying profits for the first half have more than doubled.”

In its international business, underlying profits fell 14.2%, while like-for-likes dropped 2.3%. The retailer blamed “increased currency and economic headwinds”.

Looking ahead, Newton-Jones added: “Overall, expectations for the full year out-turn are unchanged.”

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